The Elynian Ichani
by Shadowcaster4444
Summary: This is the story of Alurra, set during the Black Magician Trilogy, how she lives in Sachakan society and what happens when she is outcast to become an Ichani. That's the general jist. lol.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I dont own any of the Black Magician World. Blah Blah Blah. Please Review! **

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Alurra scanned the never ending simplicity of the desert scene outside of her carriage. She had always wondered how the Magicians of the guild had managed to create the wasteland. She turned back to her companion who was lightly dozing on the opposite side of the carriage. Her grandmother was tired from her constant travelling through the wasteland, and the fear of the Ichani kept her on high alert.

'They would be fools to try and take on two magicians.' Alurra thought as she rearranged her outfit. Her grandmother had trained her from a very young age, ever since Alurra first used her magic accidently. Instead of going to the guild like her grandmother had she had been taught in secret. All the knowledge the Guild had been hers. The reason why she had never been admitted to the guild, she had learnt later in her life. Finding her gifts at the age of 11, she was far too young to start using magic according to Guild guidelines, and that would have meant them blocking her powers until she came to be of the normal entrance age. Her grandmother had refused to let her powers be blocked and so took on her training in secret. Thankfully Alurra had turned out to be a quick learner, and was able to keep her powers a secret from all. The blocking of her powers had not been the only reason for her grandmother not allowing her to be admitted into the Guild. Her powers being released by themselves they were not under her control, and her mother had been the sacrifice for her early discharge of powers.

Alurra shook her head to try and make the memory go back to the dark place in her mind. Remembering her breathing exercise's she concentrated on her inhalation. She hadn't had to do these exercises for over 7 years, but found that when she thought of the death of her mother and the releasing of her powers, the breathing helped. Focusing on her surroundings she heard a shift on the chair opposite her and opened her eyes to see her grandmother watching her.

"You are thinking of your mother again?" it was a question she knew the answer to but stated it none the less. "It was not your fault. You could not help your powers surfacing at that precise moment." Alurra bowed her head and a tear was about to free itself from when her grandmother stroked her hair. Alurra looked up and smiled. Her grandmother always knew what to do when she was upset. Alurra straightened and peaked out of the curtain. From nowhere a sprawling city was laid out in front of the carriage. Alurra gasped and shoved the curtain fully to the side, letting her grandmother get a full view. She chuckled at Alurra's obvious excitement.

"That's Arvice?" The Sachakan capital was nearly three times the size of Imardin, the capital of the country that bordered her home country, Elyne. She had been dismayed to leave but her grandmother had suspicions that a Magician that had moved into our street may one day see me practising or using magic. So her idea had been to move to Shakaria, where Alurra's grandfather had originated from. He had died when Alurra was young but he was a kind and gentle soul, or so her grandmother had told her. He was Sachakan and her grandmother was Elynian. That made Alurra a quarter Sachakan, which her dark long straight hair symbolised. Alurra's family still owned a house and grounds in the capital Arvice, her grandfather hoping to return in his older life time. Now the house had fallen to Alurra and her grandmother, with no other living family member.

"It is. But remember society here is far different than what we are used to. Firstly a female magician is extremely rare." Alurra raised an eyebrow but let her elder continue. "Also Slavery is not outlawed here. Actually it is a major part of their culture." A gasp escaped from Alurra's lips.

"How barbaric!"

"We think so but they do not. So you must think of them like the servants we had a home. Just they are not paid and have the lowest of statuses. I have warned you before." It was true but it still shocked Alurra at how openly accepted it was in Shakaria.

"Will we have slaves?" Her grandmother smiled.

"Your grandfathers are probably still there, to keep the house running but we will have to have more eventually. I could not imagine you living without people to serve you." She laughed. "We will settle first." She stopped talking as they passed into the shadows of the houses that sprawled all over the place. Out of nowhere her grandmother spoke in a near whisper. "There is something here that the Guild in Kyrilia do not.... appreciate. It is outlawed, like slavery, but this is strictly kept secret from all but the highest of magicians." She sighed. "To survive here your grandfather taught me 'Higher Magic', something every magician here knows. In Kyrilia it is called Black Magic. The magicians here take power from others using this 'Higher Magic'." Alurra watched her grandmother carefully as she rooted around in a bag next to her and took out a small leather book. "This was your grandfathers. I at first refused to learn it, so he wrote it down in case anything happened to him. This is the final piece of magic you must master to be able to compete in Sachakan society. Without it both you and I are targets and have no chance of defending our home, or ourselves." Alurra looked down at the book and peeled back the cover. Inside was a neat script and pictures. "If something does not make sense ask me to explain. Getting this magic wrong can be very deadly."

The carriage stopped abruptly and the door swung open. Alurra placed the book in her cloak and exited after her elder. Her first step on Sachakan land made her feel like she was of both an alien and that she belonged.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a few months for Alurra to settle into the swing of Sachakan life. She had been kept in the enclosure under orders of her grandmother. Her learning of the 'Higher Magic' hadn't taken long, especially as she was a fast learner and had learnt her basic magic at a faster speed than her grandmother had anticipated. By 15 years of age she had surpassed the final year students at the guild in knowledge and skill. Being a natural meant that she was also stronger than the average magician. Now she was one of the weakest, only just having learnt 'Higher Magic'. Her grandmother had given her several books to study about Sachakan society and the 'Ashaki' which she now was. After having studied everything about Sachaka her grandmother had suggested their first trip, to the Market.

Alurra had been excited for the last week, waiting for the fourth day to come so she could finally journey outside of the walls of the mansion. Alurra was at the carriage when the news came that her grandmother would not be coming. Alurra thought about staying and seeing why she had decided to stay but her excitement had won over and she ordered the carriage to take her to the market alone. She remembered on her way to the market that it was unusual to have a female out without a male companion. This she sorted by asking one of the male slaves to accompany her. The man was hesitant at first but conceded when Alurra took on a more authoritative note in her voice. She had used that voice on her servants at home but here she transferred them to the use with slaves. She found the transition from dealing with servants to slaves easier than she thought. This worried her slightly but then she had to remind herself that she now lived in a society that accepted this, and from other accounts other masters could be much worse.

The hustle and bustle was overwhelming at first. The dry air and the smell of the different spices and food mixed into the air to give the place a distinctive market air. The male slave had tired, and failed, to keep people away. After a quiet suggestion from the slave she had created a shield around her coin purse. Her family's wealth had been transferred all to Sachaka and her family business meant her family was considered wealthy, and in Arvice wealth meant power. Tiring of the constant pushing Alurra signalled for her slave to come closer and she created a barrier around both herself and the slave. She stretched it outwards, causing people to push away. Surprise and then respect was on the faces of slaves and masters alike. She walked around, the shield preventing anyone getting in the way.

She entered what seemed to be a more up market area of the market. She turned into a booth and examined the merchandise. There was an array of weapons; some that caught her eye were the bejewelled daggers that were decorated exquisitely. She had seen such weapons in the books about the 'Ashaki' and how they were symbols of their power and that they were 'Higher Magicians'. She went to touch one, letting her shield down, when a hand grasped her wrist. The merchant was a plump man, strong because of his size. Alurra heard her slave take a quick intake of breath.

"You cannot...." the slave stuttered before Alurra stopped him.

"My dear these daggers are for Ashaki only. Not for some pretty little girl to play with." Alurra smiled and took her hand back. She glared at him and willed her magic around his throat. Choking him she rose him up into the air. When his face started to turn an unhealthy red she released him. He dropped onto the floor and only stood when he had regained enough breathe. "Forgive me Ashaki!" he was trembling and she smelt the distinctive smell of urine in the air. She gave a slight smile and flexed her will to pick up a thin knife, encrusted with precious gems and stones. "Please accept it as a gift from me to you." The merchant smiled and met her eyes briefly.

"I thank you for your present. It is acceptable." She hooked it to her dress and proudly displayed it to her slave. "What do you think? Is it pleasing to the eye?"

"It is mistress." The slave kept his eyes downcast. Alurra smiled once again at the merchant and took her leave. Erecting another shield she inquired to where the slave part of the market was.

"It is in the eastern quadrant mistress. I will lead you if it pleases you."

"Let us go then. We are in need of slaves since we bought none with us and the house is too big for the current few slaves to operate efficiently." _I also need a source slave. _She thought silently to herself.

She walked along to the eastern side of the market, stopping occasionally to examine stalls that held certain foods, some she recognised, being plentiful in Elyne, and some she had never seen anywhere within the Allied lands. Eventually she arrived in the slave markets. Seller shouted their wares over the hum of the customers. Alurra stopped beside the first platform she came to. A man, not particularly ugly, was being waved in front of the audience, most were men Alurra noticed. Alurra watched as the bidding took place, rising in steady numbers then abruptly rising to an amount that made Alurra's eyebrows rise. After the last bid was entered and no other contested it the slave seller shouted sold and the transaction was complete.

_Amazing how quickly a life was traded. In Elyne this would have never happened. _Alurra thought to herself as she scanned the other platforms. She stopped to watch a slave with bountiful bosoms being bid over. The men were practically slavering over her. _Sure the woman is pretty but nothing special. _Alurra was about to leave her place when she caught the eye of a man on the other side of the crowd of people. She looked away and waited for 5 breaths. This was what she used to do in Elyne when she wanted to see if a suitor was interested. She looked back to the man but he had disappeared. She sighed and turned to leave when he stepped in front of her. Her slave seemed to cringe back and Alurra could see why. The man was tall and well built.

_Quite handsome for a Sachakan. _Alurra decided. She glanced down to spot the knife hanging from his belt. She rotated herself and moved her cloak away so her newly acquired knife was glinting in the sunlight. He caught the glisten and looked down to see the weapon. One of his eyebrows rose in surprise. Alurra laughed and he looked straight into her eye, with a grin on his face.

_Looks good smiling, not like most of the men here that continuously scowl for no reason. _She dipped her head and smiled back.

"Hello. Is this your first time to this part of the market?"

"I am new here. I have just moved from Elyne with my grandmother. I am Al.... Ashaki Alurra. And you are?"

"I am Ashaki Verana, as you can see." he laughed and indicated his knife. "That looks to be one of Gerona's finest knives. Must have cost you quite a lot." Alurra laughed and shook her head.

"It was a recently acquired gift, for a misunderstanding." She slid the knife out of the hilt and twirled it around her fingers. "It is a reasonably fine weapon." She sheathed it and looked at Verana.

"Mine was handed down to me by my father. It has been in my family for generations." He handled it like a pro. Alurra was impressed but didn't show it.

"I was just about to enquire about some slaves. We are in need for a few. Grandfather didn't leave many when he left."

"Then let me accompany you." Alurra saw and felt her slave straighten. She could see no problem but maybe he did. Before she could refuse he gestured toward the back of the platforms. Alurra nodded her head and followed, walking next to him while being conscious of the slave behind. She turned the corner and was staggered at the scene in front of her. Make shift pens and holdings kept a variety of people in cages. She grabbed at her heart and felt a hand steady her. She went to thank her slave but found another hand instead.

"Thank you Ashaki Verana. I am perfectly fine now." He removed the hand, almost reluctantly and continued to walk. The slave looked uneasy and waited for Alurra to move. Examining the people Verana started to talk.

"The slaves are kept here first then are transferred to the stage. Then sold. You can sometimes purchase slaves here, without the stage. Each has a price that the seller wants. If you offer it they will most likely give it to you." He looked back to Alurra. "And with your beauty I believe that you could get it half the price." He chuckled and continued on. Alurra smiled and went back to her examination. The first lot didn't seem to contain anything special. The second offered something more exciting. In the same cage was a girl, skinny and underfed, and exact duplicate of her. _Twins. _Alurra thought to herself. In Elyne they were rare and something wonderful.

"You do not want them my lady." A man interjected. "They are unnatural. Freaks of nature." Alurra frowned at the man, who cringed away. "They bring bad luck to everyone. I bought them from a man that had lost all his other slaves to a mysterious disease. These were the only ones to survive."

"Bring them closer." She ordered the man, who was obviously the slave master. He opened the first lock and opened the gate. He used a whip to keep a couple of boys back who tried to escape. Alurra felt pity but her curiosity of the twins was greater.

During one of her healing lessons with her grandmother they had discussed why magicians rarely got ill and died. Her grandmother had said that magic helped and people with a high level of magic were naturally more immune to those that had not latent magic.

Alurra walked up to the twins who were now cringing in the corner, pushing into each other. Alurra stopped a few paces away and crouched down.

"It is fine. I will not harm you. I just want to touch your hand." The slave masters eyebrows rose and he stepped back. The twins looked at each other and the more dominant testily stuck out her hand. Alurra smiled and stroked the palm. In that briefest touch Alurra's suspicions were confirmed. The girl was harbouring a massive store of magic inside her. _And if the other is EXACTLY like her twin that means both are very powerful latent magicians. _Alurra's lips curled upward into a sort of grin. She schooled her expression and turned back to the man.

"They are very weak. And I doubt they will survive any mistreatment, if I have an idea of what you want to sell them for." _For sex. _Alurra stared the man down. She was correct in her thoughts. Twins would get a high price for a man who wanted just to use them for the unique sexual experience. "How much are you looking for them?" she tried not to make her desperation so plain. These were perfect for her first purchase. She would have her first source slaves. Now it depended on how low she could get him to go.

"For one 7500. For both 13,000."

"HA! I wouldn't pay 1500 for one of them! I will give you 4,000 for both." Alurra had learnt how to bargain in the markets at Capria, Elyne's capital. The man laughed and offered a lower counter offer. This continued for a few more minutes until Verana wondered back, amused by the negotiating.

"OK! My final price is 7000 for both. And that is it. Even if they are good for one time they will get that much at least with any of the men out there. Deal?" Alurra saw the weariness in his eyes. She was just getting started but knew that he might give up any moment.

"Deal." The slave master smiled and let out a sigh of relief. The arrangements were made and finalised. The slave master was about to move away when Alurra called him back. "I'm not finished yet. I have a whole house to fill." The slave master groaned and Verana laughed.

"Go easy on him. He has to make a living to." A glint of something rebellious shone out of Alurra's eyes.

"I always get what I want."


End file.
